Like it or not, it comes down to that : 40 leaders (those musicians can definitely have a huge influence on people’s mind with their music) have decided on something. But people from the grassroots disapprove what looks like a nonsense. Not one of those leaders was clever enough to voice a little disagreement of that choice. Everyone approved. Why they all approved while the majority on this board disapprove?

ARLY LARIVIERE was nominated for ARTIST OF THE YEAR before based solely on him keeping the NU LOOK float going AFTER GAZZMAN HAD JUST LEFT...and that was BEFORE the CONFIRMATION CD was released. That shows CHARACTER...LEADERSHIP....PERSEVERANCE.

DAVID DUPOUX was nominated for ARTIST OF THE YEAR before based on him keeping the float going after ONCE AGAIN losing some more key members in KREZI. That shows CHARACTER....LEADERSHIP....PERSEVERANCE

REGINALD CANGE was nominated once for ARTIST OF THE YEAR based on how he got himself up with FASIL when a lot of people had written him off. That shows CHARACTER....LEADERSHIP...PERSEVERANCE.

If the artist of the year had ONLY to do with the hottest bands, every year, it would be the same 4/5 artists FROM THE HOTTEST BANDS that would get nominated......and that is why the ARTIST OF THE YEAR IS ABOUT MORE THAN JUST MUSIC sometimes.

Having said that....BELO and ARLY were nominated next to MICHEL MARTELLY..ichel Martelly who went from being an ARTIST to PRESIDENT. To some people, it is a huge thing...and to others...it means nothing. But the FACT is he went from being an ARTIST/MUSICIAN to PRESIDENT, and that deserved a nomination.

STILL AFTER THAT....It was up to the very credible 40 MEMBER HMI PANEL to choose WHOEVER IT IS THEY WANTED TO GO FOR....based on who they thought deserved it. THEY MADE THEIR CHOICES...THEY HAVE THEIR OPINIONS the same way YOU have yours. They also HAD THE CHOICE to vote for BELO or ARLY...and based on the quotes that you read from the majority of the panel members....they explained their picks and to them it is a huge deal to have someone that used to be an HMI artist very recently....become the President.